Flood
by DimiGex
Summary: Genma never thought that Kakashi would be the one to kill him, and he certainly never thought it would be over Sakura.


**Rating:** T

 **Words:** 3300

 **Pairings:** Past Genma/Sakura

 **Summary/Warning:** Fluff, a little language, references to indiscretions, mostly with Genma because . . well . . . Genma

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters

 **Author's Note:** So you don't need to have ready my story Muddy Water for this one to make sense but it might help. It's not a direct follow on but it definitely could be. This little story was a lot of fun to write and I hardly got to do any angsty scenes which is definitely out of my norm. Read, review, pm ideas, etc. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

* * *

The sun was brilliant in the late afternoon sky, burnishing the village golden as it baked the men and women bustling through the streets. Genma rubbed the back of a hand across his forehead, removing the thin sheen of sweat that covered it. The weather in Suna wasn't as agreeable as Konoha's, but he'd grown used to it in the five months since he'd been assigned here.

Sand blasted his deeply tanned face when the wind picked up but Genma escaped into a building before it could become too annoying. He heaved a sigh of relief, at least it was cooler inside. Technically, he was here an emissary from the Hokage, but the Kazekage didn't need his input or skills most of the time. Kakashi-sama had sent Genma to the Sand Village as a favor for saving Sakura after that disastrous mission. Genma couldn't help but grin as the memory washed over him. That was a tryst he never intended to have.

Genma had been given a spacious room in the Kazekage's residence. It was a safe haven from the heat of the day. He would rest, then go back out once the sun set and get some training in. His skills had been getting rusty until he found a couple of Sand shinobi to spar with. They fought differently from Leaf nin, so it had been good challenge for him. Yawning, he pushed open the door to his room.

Years as both guard and assassin had made Genma especially adept at sensing changes in his surroundings. Genma knew something was off before he stepped into the room. He shifted his senbon toward the center of his mouth in preparation. The thin weapon might look innocuous, but it was as deadly as a kunai with Genma's skills. Hazel eyes scanned the room, then settled on the man leaning against the desk in the corner. He was wearing Leaf shinobi gear, navy shirt and pants paired with a green flak vest. Genma shifted the senbon back to the corner of his mouth.

"You're a long way from home, Yamato." Genma grinned as he crossed the space.

Yamato's stony face didn't alter at all, not even to return the smile. "You've been recalled to Konoha, Shiranui." The man's voice was cold enough to chill the room.

"I have a mission here, Hokage's orders." Genma tried to downplay the seriousness in Yamato's voice, but worry formed in his chest. The newcomer was a member of the Anbu black ops, a close personal friend of the Hokage, and a deadly shinobi in his own right.

"You _had_ a mission," Yamato said, emphasizing the past tense with his tone as he moved away from the desk. "It's been terminated by Hokage-sama's order."

Genma grunted and felt the worry increase exponentially. "I'll get my gear packed, say my farewells to Gaara, and we'll head out in the morning."

"I've already informed Kazekage-sama," Yamato said tersely, looking around the room with an air of casual dismissal. "You have ten minutes to get your gear together. Then we're leaving."

Something was definitely wrong. "Yamato, is there trouble in the Leaf?" The Anbu shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.

Genma frowned. "Am I in some kind of trouble?"

Yamato shifted, tension entering his shoulders and Genma had his answer. Mouth set in grim determination, Genma gathered the items that he'd collected over the past months and started throwing them into his pack. "So what did I do?"

The younger man turned and his eyes had the curious dead look that Genma had heard so much about. The tokujo was made of sterner stuff than Naruto though, and met Yamato's eyes impassively. An almost predatory look entered the Anbu's face when he spoke. "It's more of a whom, than a what."

Genma's heart missed several important beats, then thundered to make up for them. He shivered despite the heat, and the shirt he was stuffing into his pack slid from his fingers. This could not be happening; it had to be a coincidence. The Hokage couldn't possibly know. If he had, he would have sent Yamato with a poisoned kunai, not a summons back to the village.

Genma bent down to pick up the shirt, buying himself a moment to think. Irrationally, he considered making a run for it. Yamato was Anbu, true, but Genma knew the building and this village better than he did. There was a slim possibility that Genma might be able to make it, but the idea of being a rogue ninja didn't appeal. _Though some women like dangerous_ -he stopped that line of reasoning before it could get started. That type of thinking was what got him into this mess in the first place.

Genma's eyes flicked to the doorway and he subtly shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet. He infused chakra, preparing to spring forward and take his chances; Yamato was probably far enough away. The battle hardened shinobi squeaked in an unnatural reflex when an expertly thrown kunai embedded itself in the wood inches from the door handle. "Sand spiders are deadly things," Yamato deadpanned, walking over to retrieve his weapon. Genma's gaze traveled to the window instead.

Yamato watched Genma with dark eyes, face expressionless. The tokujo immediately decided the man had been spending too much time with Kakashi and had picked up the Copy Nin's damnable sense of humor. _Kakashi_. The mere thought made a cold sweat break out on Genma's forehead. Even with Yamato's insinuation, this had to be something besides what he was worrying about. There was no way that Sakura would have told Kakashi that they'd slept together, and no other way that he could have found out.

 _Why Yamato then?_ Kakashi could have sent anyone after Genma. Hell, he could have sent a letter or a bird. In one last, desperate bid for sanity, he faced Yamato. The man stood casually, arms behind his back, and fingers linked. It wasn't coincidence that the stance made the muscles of Yamato's shoulders more prominent. He was clearly making a show of strength, body blocking the door as his eyes watched the window.

"It's late afternoon already. Why don't we spend the night here and get an early start in the morning?" Genma tried again. It was at least a two day walk back to Konoha; there was plenty of time to make an escape. He might not be as methodical as Shikamaru or even Kakashi- _best not to think about him_ -but Genma was hardly an idiot. He could find a way out of this situation, given enough time.

"Because we are leaving now," Yamato answered coldly. "The time of day doesn't matter. Raido and Iwashi are waiting for us outside the village." Genma's shoulders sagged as he buckled his pack shut. That Kakashi had sent not only one of his best friends, but both of his personal guards after Genma was telling. The only reason the three of them would be brought together like this was to use the Flying Thunder Formation.

Genma looked around the comfortable room that had been his home for the past several months and wondered what type of punishment he would be facing in the Leaf. He hadn't done anything wrong, of course, but Kakashi was going to kill him when they got back to the village, technicalities aside. "You could tell him that you couldn't find me, Yamato." Genma appealed to the man's compassionate side. Surely he had one.

Icy eyes met his own. "Did you forget that I led Team Kakashi too?" Fear dropped through Genma's chest and he stepped back from the face Yamato was making. A vice like hand closed on his upper arm, far harder than necessary. "Come on, don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

* * *

Raido and Iwashi both looked up when the men appeared. The latter looked sheepish, the former annoyed, refusing to meet Genma's eyes. _Oh great, that's the last thing I need. A jealous ex-lover on top of everything else_. He put a hand on the man's shoulder, reaching for a lifeline. "Rai?" His one-time best friend shrugged out from under the touch. and turned away without answering.

"You make friends everywhere you go, don't you?" Yamato observed, and Genma wanted to hit him. The Anbu didn't have to enjoy this quite as much as he was. "Okay, you know what to do. Back to the Hokage's office, you have a seal there, right?"

It was Raido who nodded, and Genma couldn't help but feel a little bit betrayed. The three men encircled Yamato and touched thumbs, index, and middle fingers together. The world blurred suddenly, heat hazed sand replaced by the cool kiss of spring then they were in the Hokage's office. Genma's heart leapt into his throat and he was instantly aware of every feature of the room, from the sunset streaming through the windows, to the familiar floorboards underfoot.

The tokujo tried excruciatingly hard not to look at the man behind the desk. Kakashi leaned back in his chair, Hokage robes covering his normal jonin attire. The man even had the damn hat on, though it was tipped back enough that his face was clearly visible. There was a part of Genma that wanted to drop to his knees and grovel. A smaller, and infinitely more stupid part, insisted that he'd done nothing wrong. Listening to that side got him in trouble far too often though, so he stuck with logic and silence.

"Shiranui," the Hokage began, his voice devoid of emotion while fury sparked like lightning in his eyes. _Chidori, violet bolt._ Genma wondered what being hit by lightning felt like. He had seen Kakashi kill with chidori a few times, and it didn't look like the enemies suffered. It wouldn't be comfortable of course, but there were worse ways to go. At least it would be quick.

Yamato shifted, pushing Genma forward with a shoulder against his back. "L-Lord Hokage," Genma began, bowing at the waist and wondering when he'd started stuttering.

The Hokage steepled his fingers together and rested his masked lips almost against them. The man before Genma wasn't Kakashi. There was no familiar eye smile, no creased lines that spoke of kindness and laughter. Once he put on the Hokage robe and hat, those things disappeared. Everything about the man exuded barely restrained rage, from his steel grey eyes to the iron hard set of his shoulders. Genma came to stand directly before the desk, Yamato and Raido moved to flank the doorway, and Iwashi stepped out, into the hallway. Genma was hyper aware of the movements.

"So," the Hokage drew the word out slowly. The torture was better than Ibiki could have managed, and Genma wanted to confess every wrong he'd ever done. "Do you need to tell me something?"

Genma hardened his backbone and affected a lazy slouch. "About what?" Yamato exhaled in a humorless snort, and Genma was proud that he didn't startle forward.

Kakashi arched one eyebrow without speaking, eyes growing harder. Genma knew he wasn't going to win this fight, but he wasn't entirely ready to surrender yet. There was still a slim chance this wasn't what was he thought it was. "I received your summons. How may I be of service?"

Genma knew that was the wrong choice of words when the Hokage laced his hands together, fingers turning white and trembling under the tension. "You've been more than enough service already."

Okay, so it was what Genma feared. Possible responses from 'I'm sorry' to 'she didn't seem to mind it' ran through his mind and were promptly discarded. Ignorance was the best policy. "If that's the case, why did you recall me, Hokage-sama?" The arrogance in his tone was unexpected by both men.

"Genma, so help me-" Kakashi growled and Genma thought he was going to come across the desk. Yamato body flickered behind the Hokage and put a restraining hand on his shoulder. The silver-haired man exhaled without looking back. "Sakura was, and is, off limits."

The first time he'd kissed Sakura, Genma had thought he'd felt the ground shift. It rolled underfoot now. Sakura's two former team leaders were staring at him, waiting for the confession, the apology, something that he didn't have. Kakashi's eyes were ice, Yamato's fire. "I-" Genma could have said he was sorry. In hindsight, he probably should have, but he wasn't sorry. They were both adults, neither promised to anyone else, and he refused to apologize for accepting pleasure where he could find it. "Sakura told you?"

Kakashi unclenched his hands, scowl deepening. "She didn't need to tell me, Genma. You can only hide these things for so long. It's been five months now; it's well past the point of hiding."

 _What does time have to do with anything?_ Genma's eyes narrowed briefly, then the realization slammed into him like a kunai. The ground stopped undulating, disappearing entirely and he felt like he was falling. _Kakashi can't possibly mean_ -his mind jerked away from the thought so violently that Genma almost found himself on his knees.

The Hokage watched Genma, undoubtedly seeing the play of emotions from confusion to comprehension, then shock, finally arriving at terror. He took an unconscious step backward as Kakashi popped his knuckles. _It isn't even going to be lightning, he's going to kill me with his bare hands,_ Genma thought frantically as his fears raced circles around each other in his mind.

"The question is, what are you going to do about it?" Kakashi's tone was deadly soft, the whisper of a blade sliding through skin just before it pierced the heart. " _That_ is why I recalled you to the village."

 _Do about it?_ Genma didn't have the time or the desire to be a father. And Sakura. _Oh Kami, Sakura._ Somehow his brain had skipped right past the idea of facing her. If Kakashi didn't kill him, she certainly would. He thought of her strength, so like Tsunade's, and wondered if his chances with Kakashi might be better.

There were three sharp knocks on the door, then Iwashi peeked in. "Hokage-sama. Sakura is waiting to see you."

The whimper of terror that left Genma's lips was clearly audible. Kakashi's face twitched beneath his mask then he crossed the room to open the door. Again, Genma thought about leaping for a window. He could shatter it with a kunai and be gone before Yamato could stop him. It was dark enough that he might escape. Being a rogue ninja wouldn't be so bad. He could change his appearance and—

"Genma! When did you get back to the village?" Sakura's voice shattered the last of Genma's resolve and he turned to face her. The emerald eyes were the same, as was her smile. Sakura's pink hair was longer than he remembered, tucked behind her ears. Despite everything, including the cold wash of panic her presence brought, Genma remembered nipping her earlobe and the soft groan his teeth had produced.

 _Do not think about that,_ Genma's mind hissed wildly as Sakura turned toward the Hokage and smacked his chest affectionately. "Why didn't you tell me he was back?"

"Because he and I needed to have a little talk first," Kakashi's voice was light, almost cheerful, and the fury evaporated from his face.

Time slowed and Genma choked on the breath of air he was trying to draw. The room grew dimmer around the edges. Kakashi chuckled and leaned down to say something to Sakura, but Genma couldn't hear the words. Yamato was laughing, a deep, echoing sound that filled the office, and Raido's face contorted with the effort of not following suit.

Sakura started to move toward Genma, but Kakashi captured her hand and pulled her against his chest. She looked up at the Hokage with an expression that was entirely too familiar, and Genma felt the world tip off balance. Kakashi slid one hand down Sakura's back and used the other to tug his mask down. Either not noticing, or not caring about their audience, Kakashi kissed her beneath the shadow of the Hokage hat.

The sudden shift from terror to astonishment was enough to make Genma's heart stop beating for moment. The room spun, and the pair before him were the only thing he could see. Sakura turned in Kakashi's arms when Genma's knees gave out, dropping him to the floor. Both of Kakashi's hands were resting possessively on Sakura's flat stomach. That was the last detail Genma noticed, then, nothing.

* * *

When Genma opened his eyes, the Hokage's office was in deep shadow and he was lying on the low couch that Kakashi had insisted on having. Genma remembered the earlier revelation and almost wanted to leap off it, just in case, but his head wouldn't stop spinning.

"Feeling better?" The smug voice came from the man leaning against the wall, watching him. "I've seen you in a lot of situations, but I never expected you to faint."

Genma grunted a response and Raido grinned before continuing. "Kakashi and Sakura have been together openly for three months now. Lord Hokage asked me to pass along several messages once you woke up. The first is that you are reinstated to guard duty immediately, and there are no hard feelings between you from his side." Raido paused, giving the stunned Genma time to process the words.

"Secondly, you will be guarding Sakura, rather than Hokage-sama. Their relationship potentially makes her a target, and Kakashi wants someone who knows their place." Raido looked amused and Genma snorted. More like Kakashi wanted to torture him without publicly punishing him. _Know my place, indeed_.

Raido smirked in an uncharacteristically playful manner. "She told him about the two of you not long after you left. One of us had to keep up on the gossip, with you gone."

"You surprise me," Genma admitted, almost managing a laugh as he sat up.

Raido chuckled and pushed away from the wall to look down at Genma. "I guess you gathered that Sakura was never pregnant, and had no idea about any of this?" The man laughed again. "She was worried about your sudden fainting but Hokage-sama assured her it was perfectly natural given the circumstances. You know, excessive travel, not enough rest, change in weather, those types of things. That's all she ever needs to know."

Genma nodded. He wanted to be angry, he _really_ did, but Kakashi's ruse had been exceptional. It had been just real enough for Genma to buy every facet of it. The furious Yamato, Kakashi's own intensity, and the idea that Sakura could be pregnant. He had never known the man had this level of devious intent inside that silver-haired head of his. Hatake Kakashi hid behind decorum and silence, then schemed like this? He'd been holding out on Genma.

"Finally," Raido said, offering a hand to pull Genma to his feet. "Lord Hokage wanted me to tell you-let's see, how did he say it," he paused, tapping his lower lip thoughtfully. "Kakashi said that he wants you to remember tonight, in case you ever feel the inclination to revisit old habits."

Genma shook his head and decided not to point out that technically, Sakura hadn't been Kakashi's when the whole thing happened. It didn't matter because Genma would never directly challenge the Hokage. Besides, they looked happy together and Kami knew Kakashi deserved that. "I don't think I could forget today if I tried."

"I wish you could have seen your face when Sakura walked into the office," Raido burst out laughing so hard his shoulders shook. "I almost lost it. Not that it mattered, you fainted like a little girl." The man clapped Genma on the back and nodded toward the door.

"Fuck you," Genma growled, following him from the office.

The man looked over his shoulder and grinned. "If you play your cards right, maybe. At least you don't have to worry about getting me pregnant."

Genma didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In the end, he did a little of both.


End file.
